Daryl Janmaat wants Newcastle United to rebuild St James’ Park into the fortress it once was.

The Magpies have won just twice at home in the Premier League this season and their home form is the key reason why United remain in the bottom five of the table.

Janmaat feels that Toon players offered something for the crowd to feed on during the last home encounter with Liverpool. On that day some crunching tackles from Janmaat and his team-mates at least sent out the signal that the players were trying to make an impact.

And each one of those challenges resulted in the atmosphere going up a notch.

Ahead of the clash with Aston Villa this Saturday night, Janmaat told the Chronicle: “We have to make this a terrible place to come for other teams.

“We are not bad players. The Liverpool win has give us some confidence at St James’ Park so now we have to build on this. We have to try to give the same effort every week.

“Of course, you will lose games and every team will lose games in the future. But if we fight and show that we are giving everything the supporters can live with that.

“We’ll also win a lot of games, especially at home.”

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Janmaat’s own form has improved in the last two matches with two sparkling displays against Spurs and Liverpool but the Dutch international has warned United players they can’t afford to let their performance levels slip.

Janmaat admits that having a full house behind the players helps in the Premier League.

The former Feyenoord star said: “Every tackle that went in they were with us. It gives you something extra. It is really important.”

Newcastle now go in against an Aston Villa side they beat back in February before the prospect of relegation set in on Tyneside.

The dreadful run of eight consecutive defeats last term appeared to have a knock-on effect to the squad this season but it is Villa who find themselves facing the very real possibility of going down.

Indeed, bookmakers have installed them as firm favourites to be relegated and odds of 1/12 with Stan James make painful reading for Villa supporters. Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has also tipped them for the drop.

Shearer, speaking on Match of the Day, said: “On the evidence of their performance against Arsenal, and from what I have seen in their previous 15 Premier League games this season, I cannot see Aston Villa staying up.

“Villa are lacking in quality and are also lacking in confidence, as any team would be in their position. It is looking pretty bleak for them.

“They have not won since the opening day of the season, are six points off second-bottom Sunderland and eight points adrift of safety.

“By the time the January transfer window opens, they might be as good as relegated.

“Rather than looking to bring in players then to try to keep them up, their manager Remi Garde might have to start planning for the Championship instead.”